I am sorry for a very sketchy report, but I did a DU (after seeing that KDE 4.7 is coming) and a new nvidia update came (290.10-1 I suppose). I got a message about mismatching or something (sorry, I can't remember) and saying that I should reboot. After doing so, I had many problems in KDE (black windows, konsole not showing...). After a reboot, X did not come up at all. Not even with a previous kernel.

Since I needed the computer, I installed nouveau (as described in the wiki) and things seem back to normal, but I did not collect enough data for a proper report, as I was in a hurry. (Sorry.)

I just wanted to warn others n case my problem was not an isolated one.

I also had a problem with this new 290 driver after a DU yesterday. My main monitor looked fine, but on the TV-Out connection the display was very strange - compressed vertically and the resolution was wrong, with most of the image apparently not visible on the display. I didn't have time to investigate, just rolled the system back.

These nvidia breakages are too frequent. I don't know where the fault lies, but I'm considering dropping Aptosid and going to stable because of these repeating video problems. I also won't be buying nvidia again anytime soon. I've had good results with Intel graphics lately under linux. And I just purchased a Radeon system - will see if the rumors about ATI improving their linux drivers are true - I had abandoned them for the last few years. Despite what people have said here, I have my doubts - I see they're not providing good support. But I won't need great video on this machine so I'm hoping they'll improve the drivers eventually.

Yes. Thanks. Yesterday I just tried to find out what command m-a was by just running "m-a", but maybe I did it on a computer without module-assistant, because it said there was no such command, so then I thought it wasn't a command, which is why I got confused thinking it was maybe some abbreviated internet speak...

Just now I read about proprietary nvidia on the debian wiki and they point out that I need to run the module assistant after each kernel update. Do'h!I'm such an idiot. I have of course been there lots of times. Maybe next time I'll remember...

@Eelei: No doubt about it, there is a learning curve and it can be a little steep at times. Video, printers, and samba all come to mind as potentially steep learning curve topics, depending on your hardware and exactly what you want to do with it. The aptosid manual is excellent, but some topics may need to be read a few times (I even have a few pages printed off with handwritten notes for future reference).

@Eelei: No doubt about it, there is a learning curve and it can be a little steep at times. Video, printers, and samba all come to mind as potentially steep learning curve topics, depending on your hardware and exactly what you want to do with it. The aptosid manual is excellent, but some topics may need to be read a few times (I even have a few pages printed off with handwritten notes for future reference).

The learning curve I've travelled is not so steep as it is long, bumpy and winding, as I've been on linux for 14 years. I've been meaning to be a bit more organized about it, learning to understand it all instead of fixing things the quickest and easiest way. I should start documenting what I do when I set up my computers, doing it right and having various cheat sheets at hand, but I haven't really gotten the hang of my new organized life just yet.